A Minnesota DNR assessment found more than 1,200 lakes and rivers in 54 counties either currently contain or historically had wild rice. More than half the acreage was found in a handful of counties, including one at the center of a proposed nickel mine. (Photo courtesy Superior National Forest)
by Mike Moen
TAMARACK, Minn. (Public News Service) – The wild rice harvest season in Minnesota ends Sept. 30 and a Native American tribe in the state’s north-central region is not only thinking about this year’s results. Its members say a proposed mine nearby could harm future harvests.
Talon Metals wants to build a nickel mine near Tamarack to supply electric vehicle batteries. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and partner organizations worry about waste flowing into the Mississippi and St. Croix River watersheds.
Kelly Applegate, commissioner of natural resources for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, said beyond the threat to drinking water, there is a fear the abundant wild rice beds would find it hard to survive.
“Wild rice, it’s almost like a sentinel species – like a canary in a coal mine, if you will,” Applegate explained. “It’s very sensitive to water chemistry changes.”
Applegate pointed out wild rice is closely tied to the cultural identity of Ojibwe people. The project is still going through the environmental review process at the state level, with a public comment period is expected sometime in 2026.
In an emailed statement, company officials note that earlier input prompted a design change to an enclosed facility, so that all activities would be in a controlled setting. They also insist they can balance mining for these materials with environmental and cultural protections. But opponents remain skeptical.
Colleen O’Connor Toberman, land use and planning director for the group Friends of the Mississippi River, said they stand with the Mille Lacs Band in highlighting the concerns. She argued placing a mining project on a water-rich landscape would be a big mistake.
“The water that gets contaminated becomes acid mine drainage,” Toberman emphasized. “(It) spreads through whatever water it connects to, and so when you are mining in these very, very wet places, with water connections that span thousands of miles, you really increased the risk of spreading that contamination to many, many places.”
Toberman noted product makers can lean on existing materials which are not being targeted much for re-use. She also stressed as carmakers continue to improve battery technology, this type of mining might become obsolete sooner than expected.
Friends of the Mississippi River and similar organizations have long argued this type of mining in North America has a poor track record of polluting watersheds.
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